I received a call on 5/8/08 from Area Circulation. The lady I spoke to told me that my mastercard was in excellent standing and I was entered in a contest to win $1,000, 000. She also told me that I had won a 3 day 2 night vacation to my destination choice. She then raced through all the numbers bouncing back and forth from small talk about the weather back to numbers and payments. She really focused on the "prizes" and the "vacation", I suppose that's how they bait and switch. It was all very confusing. These people are very good at what they do. So, she then transferred me to "her supervisor" to verify some information so she could send out my vacation voucher.
The supervisor tells me the first woman I spoke to was new and she asked how she did with the conversation. I told her the woman was very sweet.
The supervisor then races through the numbers and payments and gets back to the "vacation" talk. She asks for my mastercard number. I asked her why she needed my credit card number if i had "WON" the trip. She told me she just needed to verify that the account was valid. So I gave her my card number. She then transfers me to yet another person to verify my address so my vacation voucher could be sent.
The next person I spoke with started by verifying my name, address, phone number and email address. Then he starts throwing numbers and payments and such. I tell him that I just wanted to cancel the whole thing because I wasn't aware that I had to buy anything to win the trip. He then tells me that it's too late that my order has already been put through the system. He tells me that I CAN'T CANCEL, that I'm locked into some magazine subscription. (I don't even buy or read magazines) I express that I'm not happy that I definitely DO NOT want to be locked into this scam. (This is still my first call that I had received from Area Circulation) He then tells me that he will have to have "his supervisor" call me in the morning to cancel. That she had already left for the day.
The following morning I did not receive any phone call from Area Circulation. So I called them. They put me thru to the same man, from the first initial phone call, that told me I could not cancel. I asked him what the name of the company was, he told me "Nationwide Marketing". He then transferred me to his "supervisor". She also told me that I could not cancel, that I was locked in. I told her that I don't even read magazines and I couldn't afford it and I definitely wanted to cancel. She told me she would ask her "supervisor". She put me on hold for about 30 seconds, came back and told me that all they could do was lower my payments. She offered to lower my payments to $39 per month for the next 2 years. I also asked her what the name of the company was and she told me "Worldwide Marketing". I asked to speak to HER supervisor and she told me that she was the supervisor, there was no one else to speak to. I then asked her why she just told me she had to ask her supervisor and why she put me on hold if there was no one else above her. She lied. She became very defensive and rude and said that she "called" her supervisor in VA. I wasn't even on hold long enough for her to dial a number. She lied. She tells me the only person above her was the OWNER of the company. I finally realize that this is a pointless conversation, that they are not going to cancel. So I hang up w / Deidre Jones (of the Kennesaw, Ga office).
After hanging up, I was completely frustrated, so I called my friend who is a lawyer. I told him the whole story and he agreed to persue the case. However, I had two different names of the company that were given to me and a phone number. So I called the Area Circulation again, I asked the receptionist for the address of the office. She sounded very nervous and confused, then transferred me back to the man I had talked to earlier. I asked him for the address, he too sounded nervous and confused, then transferred me to his "supervisor". When I asked Deidre Jones for the office address, she fumbled over her words and gave me the Virginia address. I explained to her that I needed the Georgia office address that she was calling from. She gave me the wrong address and hurried off the phone. I googled the two names and came up w / nothing. I then googled the phone number, 770-499-8772, and I came upon this website w / all the same complaints that I had. Googling the phone number also gave me the correct name of the company, AREA CIRCULATION. Luckily my friend is taking the case and it will be remedied soon.in the mean time, I will be canceling my checking account so these scam artists can not steal from me. I will also be telling all of my friends, family and customers about this company. I've also contacted and filed a report with the Better Business Bureau.
My advice to anyone who gets hooked into this joke of a company is to contact a lawyer immediatly. File a report to the Better Business Bureau. WARN all of your friends and family.
Beware area circulation!!!
Erika
San Diego, California
U.S.A.
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